Under the shining of the setting sun, Huangpi City, which had gone through many battles between the two sides, although it did not collapse as a whole, looked extra dilapidated, with a dull color soaked in blood everywhere and dazzling holes smashed open by Huaidong's heavy stone-throwing crossbows.
dendritic traces.
Although the news of Baihetan's defeat has not yet spread, the news that Luo Xianyi led his troops to aid Lishan and defeated the main force of Chaishan's ambush at Zhangjiawan, Luodian, 70 miles east of Suizhou City this morning, has spread at dusk.
Enter Huangpi City.
Lishan and Luodian are located less than two hundred miles due north of Huangpi, with Xiaochang County in between.
Xiaochang City is located between the two majestic mountain systems of Dahong Mountain and Shuangfeng Mountain.
In Ye Ji Luorong's plan, once the defense line in eastern Hubei cannot be sustained, the troops and horses of various tribes can disperse to Xiaochang and retreat to Shicheng to form a second line of defense to resist the Huaidong Army from entering the hinterland of Jingxiang. Therefore, Luo Xiancheng was stationed in Xiaochang.
Nearly ten thousand soldiers and horses.
However, lacking sufficient material support, the backup defense lines in Shicheng and Xiaochang are far from being as strong as Huaidong's operations in Shanyang, Siyang, Sikou, and Yunti Pass to support Xu Si's perimeter.
Xiaochang City is even less than seventy miles away from Lishan City.
On the night of the 19th, Sun Zhuang led his troops from the south of Lishan City to Fancheng, and news reached Xiaochang. General Xiaochang did not arouse enough vigilance. Although he sent reconnaissance cavalry overnight to contact Suizhou on the 20th, it was too late.
The reconnaissance cavalry returned before noon and brought back the news that Luo Xianyi's troops were defeated in Luodian. Only then did General Xiaochang know that Chaishan and Lishan had surrendered, and that more troops and horses from Huaidong entered the hinterland of Jingxiang than imagined, and the previous surprise attack on Fancheng
The five thousand soldiers and horses were only a small part of Chaishan's ambush.
Regarding the relatively accurate news about the ambush at Chaishan, General Xiaochang sent people to report to Fengshan, Tiemen, Shicheng and Huangpi at noon. Huangpi learned the exact news at dusk.
Although the Huangpi garrison did not collapse immediately, Sun Jichang stood at the top of the city and looked at the outskirts of Huangpi City, slowly coming in like a tide under the setting sun. The fear in the heart of the Huaidong Army, which was unusually determined, also poured out in waves like a tide.
, I can’t press it no matter how hard I press it...
Sun Jichang was not a fool. He knew that the Huaidong Army had chosen this time to launch a general offensive in order to defeat their more than 110,000 troops and horses at the Baita River, Huangpi, and Xiongjiagang lines tonight. The night would intensify the collapse and chaos of the defenders.
In their collapsed retreat, it was impossible for them to form an orderly interception force, which would help the Huaidong Army use the cover of night to penetrate deep. Once the main soldiers of the Huaidong Army were called to go north forty miles before tomorrow morning, they would penetrate
When they reach the Xiaonan front line, any last resistance they may have on the west flank of the eastern Hubei defense line will be completely strangled and crushed.
If they want to fight for a chance of survival and get a chance to evacuate to Shicheng, they must withstand this wave of strong attacks by the Huaidong Army. After all, with Meng Anchan leading 20,000 cavalry, the Huaidong Army's pursuit cannot be unscrupulous.
But under the darkness of night, Meng Anchan's cavalry would involve the retreating troops and horses in chaos. A slight error in judgment could lead to the Huaidong Army being divided and surrounded, thus completely losing the initiative on the battlefield.
The Huaidong Army's night combat capabilities were fully demonstrated as early as the Yannan wars...
If you want to survive, you must hold on to the Huaidong Army's offensive, which may last until early tomorrow morning before it can be temporarily stopped...
But, is this possible?
Sun Jichang could not suppress the fear in his heart, and the generals around him also looked ashen.
When the news of the fall of Fancheng came, although the morale of the military was shaken, they still expected good news to come.
The news that Huaidong ambushed troops in Chaishan and attacked and cut off the retreat was sent by General Xiaochang. The messenger rushed to the camp and shouted out the earth-shattering news as if he had collapsed.
Although the messenger asked She Wenzhuang to have his head chopped off in the name of disturbing the morale of the army, such important and bad news could not be covered up even if the messenger Xiaochang did not shout it out in public. Now not only the generals of the whole army knew about it, but also ordinary people
Among the soldiers, the fear brought by this news spread like a plague.
When the overall battle situation has not collapsed, the generals have the will to fight and do not dare to retreat easily. In addition to the expectation of victory, there is also strict military law staring at everyone from behind. Anyone who disobeys military orders and retreats without authorization will be punished by the military law team.
Machetes never recognize human heads.
But now that the entire war situation is about to collapse, even whether Ye Ji Luorong can escape is unknown. Who the hell would think about military law like a mountain?
The psychology of the generals on the defense line is extremely fragile at this time. Maybe ordinary soldiers are blind, but the middle and lower-level generals can already understand how serious and desperate the consequences of cutting off tens of thousands of Huaidong elites will be -
- If one person cannot hold on, even one commander cannot hold on, and takes the lead in evacuating, it may cause the entire defense line to collapse!
There is another one, even if it lasts until tomorrow, who can be sure that Meng Anchan is really willing to lead his cavalry to serve as troops for everyone?
What they have to face is nothing else, but more than 100,000 Huaidong elites pouncing on them like tigers and wolves. There are also more than 30,000 Chizhou troops on the eastern front. Meng Anchan must kill all his troops in Shacheng.
Only with this awareness can it be possible to slightly block the Huaidong Army's iron flow and buy other troops two to three days to withdraw to Shicheng.
Is Meng Anchan such a person? Will Zhong Rong escape first in Tiemen Mountain? Will Yang Xiong hold on until the end in Hanjin? Will Ma Dekui bring some seeds? Has the old fox in Shewenzhuang made arrangements for him?
A good way out?
At this moment, Sun Jichang couldn't get rid of the thoughts swirling in his mind: Run away, it will be too late if you don't run away...
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The setting sun was still hanging over the treetops, and there was still an hour before dark. From Zhaohu Mountain to the front fortress of the battle, nearly a hundred thousand generals were spread out. Their armor and swords reflected the setting sun, making people feel that they were facing an invisible tower.
To the edge of the ocean.
Although Zuo Chengmu didn't know whether Hu Wenmu could hold on in Jingzhou, he had already fully understood that Jingzhou was the bait to lure Yan Hu deeper. But at this time, standing on Zhaohu Mountain, he watched the Huaidong Army move forward like an iron stream.
The enemy troops rushed towards the Baitahe-Huangpi-Xiongjiagang defense line. They were deeply shocked and their blood was racing: This is the torrent of iron armies that is qualified to sweep the world.
Only the deeper you understand military affairs, the more you will be confused and shocked by the absolute power displayed by the torrent of iron troops in front of you.
It's not that Lin Fu didn't have the ability to tear open the enemy's defense line before this, but if he had to wait until the enemy was at its most vulnerable to save this fatal blow, the enemy would not even have a chance to struggle.
Lin Fu used his strategies of luring the enemy deep, hiding from the sky and crossing the sea, and sneaking across Chencang to the extreme. Who in the world can rival him? Thinking of the possibility of seeing his homeland in the Central Plains again in this life, Zuo Chengmu was so excited that tears filled his eyes.
Although Zuo Chengmu was sincere, he also had a heart of stone. He understood that compared with the great cause of driving out the barbarians and regaining the Central Plains, Jingzhou was used as a bait and was helpless. If he hadn't implemented this strategy, the war would have been delayed.
How many thousands of people will die in the war and chaos?
At this moment, Zuo Chengmu was deeply impressed by the military power displayed by Huaidong.
Those who can create and control this powerful military force are undoubtedly among the few heroes throughout the ages. In comparison, the incompetent descendants of the Yuan family look ridiculous...
Fu Qinghe stood beside Zuo Chengmu. He was not very surprised that Zuo Chengmu had tears in his eyes at this time. For a minister like Zuo Chengmu who is still sincere, you can kill him, but don't think about it with the help of Zuo Chengmu.
Simple plots and tricks can convince him, but the only thing that can break his heart is the heroic feat of regaining the country and rebuilding the empire.
Seeing the 100,000-strong iron army launching the final general attack on the enemy's defense line, Fu Qinghe, Song Fu, Gao Zongting, Ao Canghai and others could not suppress their excitement: Recovering Jingxiang is the first step, but taking this step will
This means that Huaidong has completely grasped the initiative in the war between the North and the South, and it will be a matter of time to regain the Central Plains.
The general trend has become established, and any Xiaoxiao who stands in the way of this great trend will sooner or later be ruthlessly crushed to pieces.
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"The barbarians invaded the south, and the mountains and rivers were in chaos. How many hometowns were turned into barren graves, how many wives were scattered, how many bones were left in the wilderness, how many rivers and mountains were broken and their heads turned white." Lin Fu stood on the high platform of the general, leaning on the railing, facing the platform.
The generals shouted loudly, "How many people are willing to serve as lackeys in front of the Hulu horses and kill their compatriots? Xiaoping, all the generals in the army knew that the hatred between the country and the family can only be repaid today, and all generals need to work hard to kill the enemy invaders.
…”
Lin Fu beat the horizontal railing with his hand again and repeated word for word: "The hatred of the country's enemies and the family's hatred will be paid off today. All generals and soldiers need to work hard to kill the enemy invaders!"
"The hatred of the country's enemies and the family's hatred will be paid off today. All generals and soldiers need to work hard to kill the enemy invaders..." Just like a wave of sound, it quickly spread from Zhaohu Mountain to the Baita River, Changxuan Ridge and other front lines.
"Beat the drum, attack." Lin Fu waved his hand and gave the general attack order.
Before the order is given to the generals, dozens of war drums will be beaten immediately upon hearing the order. The generals and soldiers are all naked and upper body, and they must use all their strength to beat the war drums like spring thunder rolling on the earth.
Dozens of guards and cavalry carried the scarlet battle flag on their shoulders and galloped towards the armies that had entered the battlefield to convey the military order for the general attack.
At this moment, Chen Zhi couldn't help but feel his mouth was dry. He spat into his hands to moisten his palms. When the bodyguards galloped forward, they waved their flags and screamed at the top of their lungs: "The order from the Privy Council is here for you."
The troops will attack immediately and kill the enemy! The hatred of the country and the family will be paid off today, and the generals and soldiers will have to work hard to kill the enemy aggressors!"
"Attack!" Chen Zhi pulled out the saber from his waist, swung it forward, and gave the command to attack.
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The leader of Changxuan Ridge will be Zhang Gou.
The main figure on the front of Huangpi City will be Yu Wencheng.
The main image on the front of Baita River is Chen Zhi.
The Baita River is located between Huangpi and Hanjin. As long as it cuts into the defense line, most of the Huangpi enemy troops can be cut off on the right wing to prevent them from escaping to the Han River. It is also the fastest way to advance directly to Shicheng.
On the front of the Baita River defense line, Chen Zhi was the main force of the first wave of attacks. In addition, Zhao Hu led 20,000 soldiers and horses from the Jiangning forbidden camp and the water camp to form an array behind him.
After Chen Zhi's troops had torn apart the Baitahe defense line, Zhao Hu led his troops to follow him and attack in depth.
The first brigade of the cavalry battalion led by Zhang Jiheng and Zhou Pu was left by Lin Fu in Zhaohu as a strategic reserve force.
Only by tearing the enemy troops on the east bank of the Han River to pieces as quickly as possible can the main force of the Huaidong Army led by Lin Fu in eastern Hubei have a chance to pursue and annihilate the Yan and Hu troops on the west bank of the Han River. The Yan and Hu soldiers on the west bank of the Han River can
The Hu soldiers and horses were the real main force on the Western Front, and they were also the culprits who committed massacres in the Central Plains and owed a huge blood debt.
When Luo Wenhu was sighing with emotion for the thirty bed crossbows made of fine iron, he didn't know that he saw the Huaidong Army's infantry formation in front of the Baita River unfolding and there were 600 bed crossbows made of fine iron.
How would you feel when the mules and horses led them into the front line and into the open space in front of the Baita River? And the enemy troops at the Zha camp behind the Baita River defense line saw these 600 fine-iron crossbows shining in the setting sun.
What kind of mood will you feel when you see the stunning light?
The base frame of the bed crossbow is made of fine iron, which has a stronger structure, and the crossbow arrows are more stable and accurate. Pulled by mules and horses, the wheels made of fine iron can accompany the infantry in the field to forcibly march to chase the enemy.
During a counterattack, the bed crossbow does not need to be withdrawn. It can form an obstacle belt in front of the formation to block the enemy's counterattack. Even if the crossbow is damaged in the battle, as long as there are accessories, it can be repaired easily and quickly, and it can be converted into a small baggage vehicle very conveniently.
, hauling the wounded and supplies.
There are so many advantages to casting a bed crossbow of fine iron, but the only disadvantage is that it consumes an astonishing amount of fine iron. A basic bed crossbow weighs more than 400 kilograms, and six hundred fine iron bed crossbows will consume 200,000 to 300,000 kilograms.
Fine iron. Not to mention the difficulty of overall casting, two to three hundred thousand kilograms of fine iron was the total output of Jiangning Ministry of Industry Iron Works in one year before the war.
The sound of strings being strung was as dense as the drizzle after spring.
Six hundred crossbows were staggered in two rows and concentrated on a narrow front of less than 400 steps. The Huaidong Army had never put so many crossbows into a local battlefield so densely before.
Six hundred crossbow heads made of fine iron, glowing with life-threatening light, were loaded into the crossbow slot.
The defenders in the defense line seemed to have sensed the fatal threat, and deliberately made a final struggle. They lowered the suspension bridge from the barracks and wanted to counterattack and attack the crossbow array. They saw the military commander on the flank of the crossbow array lowering his flag, and six hundred giant guns were fired.
The sound of the crossbow piercing the air almost tore the eardrums to shreds, and the howling cold wind was filled with the sharp sound of howling ghosts and wolves, and went towards the enemy camp wall in front of them.
The guards in front of the fence watched the giant crossbow coming through the air, as if covered by huge dark clouds. They forgot to turn around and run away, and just watched the huge hole in their bodies being opened by the giant crossbow. The power of the giant crossbow shooting through the air was so great.
, dozens, hundreds of giant crossbows were shot at the same time, and a section of the fence collapsed.
The section of the fence covered by the crossbows and the nearly two hundred defenders hiding behind the fence waiting to defend the fence were all wiped out in the blink of an eye.
Some people did not die immediately, or their shoulders, thighs, or chests and abdomen were pierced by giant crossbows, or their whole bodies were twitching and struggling on the nailed fence. The desperate howls shocked the hearts of the surrounding defenders and intensified the fear in their hearts.
The guards who were about to attack the Huaidong Army's crossbow formation were even more frightened. They looked at the general behind them in panic, hoping that he would take back his life and lead everyone to escape from the death zone in front of them.
The bed crossbow was quickly re-cocked and loaded with arrows, and launched a second wave of attacks on the defense line in front of the Baita River. This attack was specifically aimed at blocking the long trench suspension bridge where the defenders wanted to leave the barracks to counterattack.
There were more than a thousand defenders who were crowding in front of the trench bridge and preparing to attack. After being covered by crossbow arrows, it was like a big horn was knocked down. Nearly 400 people were directly nailed to the open space behind the suspension bridge. More In some cases, three or four people were pierced by a crossbow arrow at the same time. Such a cruel fight immediately caused the remaining people to collapse. They completely ignored the suppression of the military law team and fled backward to avoid the death zone sealed by the crossbow arrows.
There was more than one channel for the enemy to counterattack, but the two groups of enemy troops that crossed the Baita River from the camp and launched a counterattack against Huaidong's army looked so weak and pitiful.
Chen Zhi stood on the chariot watching the entire battlefield and ignored the enemy troops who came out of the camp to counterattack. Only the brigade general Li Baidao sent his armored soldiers to intercept them in the front line and decisively defeated them.
Chen Zhi wanted to overall command the 20,000 Huaidong elites deployed in front of the Baita River to advance in an orderly and gentle manner. He used bed crossbows and scorpion crossbows to suppress the guards on the fence on the other side of the river. Before the armored carriages cover our own crossbowmen approaching the Baita River, they will shoot a denser and wider range of arrow rain into the enemy camp. Dozens of trench bridge carriages will be pushed down the Baita River, forming a direct approach to the fence wall. In the previous passage, follow the cave house car, rush the car to follow it, and break the fence wall, or directly set up the folding ladder truck from the south bank of the Baita River to the fence wall on the north bank, forming a gap to directly attack the north bank of the Baita River. , with firm and unshakable determination, tear open the defense line in front of Baita River...